Mixtape Review: Doughboyz Cashout – We Run The City 4

Mixtape Review: Doughboyz Cashout – We Run The City 4 courtesy of Skinny Friedman
Detroit’s Doughboyz Cashout showed up on my radar very shortly before Jeezy signed them to CTE. Stylistically, the crew came out of left field, rolling 5 (or more?) deep and sounding like a lost Cash Money act from 1998. Doughboyz Cashout held their own on the quietly great series of CTE EP’s and tapes from 2013. They show great chemistry with Jeezy on “Woke Up”, a track that makes me want to bag up work and rob a bodega. The DJ Mustard-produced “Hella Ice” is secretly one of the best ratchet joints of last year.
It’s easy to see why Jeezy took an interest in Doughboyz Cashout. Out the gate, Jeezy was a d-boy who chose his path and never looked back. TM101 was made for baggin up work and counting money. On We Run The City 4, DBC’s first solo tape under CTE, the vibe is similarly motivated, but slightly more reflective. Jams like “City of Dealers” and “Rich Nigga Nation” are straightforward flossing anthems. But DBC is as concerned with their own success with pointing out how they outshine they competition, notably on “Boss the Fuck Up” and “Don’t Exist”. Doughboyz Cashout also have a sentimental streak that Jeezy doesn’t. “Started As A Worker”, “Used to Sell Dimes” and “House on the Hill” are nods to the come-up. WRTC4 ends with “Lett
er To My Old Dude”, a meloncholy shout to everyone they lost on the way.
I can’t stress enough how much We Run The City 4 sounds like it was warped into 2014 from some backwater projects in Louisiana in the late 90’s in the best way possible. In the booth, Doughboyz Cashout bring the controlled chaos of a No Limit posse cut; the crew trades verses and their styles mesh together seamlessly. The production, all handled in-house by Payroll, evokes Beats By The Pound and early Mannie Fresh. Hard drums, percussion touches and skittering hi-hats roll over 90’s-sounding synth pads, pianos and string plucks. It’s a totally unique sound in 2014, detached from the trap blueprint laid out by Lex Luger and Mike Will.
Given the current stardom and OG status of dudes like Lil Wayne, Mannie Fresh, Master P and Baby, it shouldn’t be a surprise to see their early styles resurface. And given Detroit’s history as a source for wildly creative music (techno! J.Dilla!), I guess it’s not a surprise it would come from the D. Still, We Run The City 4 is a totally unique project and a really good one.